Curling bar for roll-through labelers



11111817, 1969 J. A.'HANLEY 3, ,58

CURLING BAR FOR ROLL-THROUGH LABELERS Filed Aug. 6, 1965 Sheet of 2 HIM! INVENTOR James A. Honle y ,Q illg m ATTORNEYS June 17, 1969 J. A. HANLEY 3,450,588

CURLING BAR FOR ROLL-THROUGH LABELERS Filed Aug. 6, 1965 Sheet 3 of 2 J lOb FIG. 4

FIG. 3

' INVENTOR James A. Henley ATTOR N EYS United States Patent U.S. Cl. 156-453 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cylindrical curling bar having two helical grooves which extend over the surface of the label in a direction inward to the axis of rotation of said bar, said helical grooves converging in a central portion of said bar and serving to screw excess paste toward the center of the label when said label is pulled from under the curling bar.

This invention relates to a roll-through labeling machine and more particularly, it relates to an improvement in the curling bar for said machine.

In a roll-through labeler, a channel or track means is provided for rolling a cylindrical container, such as a jar, can or bottle, past a stack of pre-cut labels which are held in place by a curling bar which presses down on the top label in the stack and controls the feeding of labels to the jars. As the jar passes over the stack of labels, one or more strips of adhesive previously applied to the container serve to pick up one end of the top label and pull the opposite end of the label out from beneath the curling bar. Aside from controlling the feeding of labels the curling bar serves to spread the lap end paste evenly over the end portion of the label which wraps or covers the pick-up section of the label (that portion of the label which is first glued to the jar). Present curling bars on these types of machines are stationary and square. This causes excess paste to move to the outside and to run down the label stack sides and carriage. Moreover, after the labeler is stopped for a short period of time the top label in the stack adheres to the curling bar on start-up and is torn as the first jar passes through the labeling device leaving part of the label fixed to the curling bar. This requires manual attention or further shut-down.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to employ an improved curling bar which avoids the sticking problems inherent in present curling bars of roll-through labelers.

It is another object of this invention to eliminate the necessity for pulling the top label out of the labeler machine before start-up.

Other objects of this invention include improving the over-all efiiciency of labeling machines, reducing their time of operation and eliminating the label shrinkage problem inherent in conventional labelers.

This invention will best be understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the curling bar together with the paste belt and the stack of labels as commonly arranged in a roll-through labeling machine.

FIG. 2 is a more detailed sectional view of the curling bar of this invention showing the arrangement of two inwardly extending helical grooves on said bar.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view which shows one end (the pick-up portion) of a label already applied to a container and the opposite end (the lap-end portion) of the label being pulled from beneath the curling bar and paste belt.

FIG. 4 shows a front elevation view of the paste belt and the paste depresser. The curling bar is not shown in this view.

=Briefly stated, the present device is based on the discovery that the sticking problem inherent in roll-through labelers can be eliminated by having the curling bar for said labeler in the form of a cylindrical bar which has a pair of helical inwardly extending grooves which converge at the central portion of the bar, these helical grooves being adapted to roll or screw excess paste toward the center and away from the sides of the label stack as each top label is pulled from beneath the curling bar and applied to the container.

Before giving a detailed description of the present apparatus, it should be noted that the curling bar is adapted to become an integral part of a roll-through labeler machine for round containers and its function is to spread glue or paste evenly over the lap-end portion of the label which extends over and is glued to the pick-up section of the label already glued to the container.

Referring now in detail to the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a channel or track means 1 for transporting cylindrical containers in a rolling motion past a stack of labels 2. The curling bar 3 is attached by bushings 4 and arms 5 to a label feed control rod 6. The curling bar 3, has helical inwardly extending grooves 7 and 8 which converge at a central portion 9. The top label 12 is shown as having a pick-up section A and a lap-end portion B which wraps over and is glued to the pick-up section of the label when this is applied to the container. A paste belt 10, is shown passing over the lap-end portion B of the label for applying a strip of paste to this portion of the label. Paste wheels 11 and 11a serve to control and distribute the amount of glue which is applied to the lap-end portion of the label. A pair of paste depressing bars 13 are used for applying paste at the proper time to each label in the stack 2, the bars forcing a portion of the paste belt '10 downward into contact with the top label 12 when a completely labeled container rolls over the bars 13.

FIG. 2 is a sectional detailed view of the curling bar of this invention. Curling bar 3 is cylindrical in shape and is shown to have two separate grooves or channel threads 7 and 8 of about pitch, depth, and width which extend helically around the cylindrical bar in a direction inward to the axis of rotation until the threads converge at the center portion of the bar. The central portion is shown as a recess 9, which allows a pocket or reservoir of excess glue or paste to residue therein. Each of the grooves 7 and 8 is adapted to move or screw excess paste on the lap-end portion of the label toward the center of the label.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view which shows the actual movement of a container .17 which is being labeled. A hot melt glue pot 14 contains four rollers 15 which apply a strip of glue 18 to the container 17 as it passes on track means \1 over this point. An overhead V-belt 16 is used to move the container on the channel or track means 1. A label stack 2 is shown with the top label 12 having an end portion A (the pick-up section) which is contacted by the strip of hot melt glue 18. The arrangement of the curling bar 3, control arm 5, depresser bars 13 and paste belt 10, at the end portion B (the lap-end section) of the top label is shown. It will be noted that the paste is applied to the next label in the stack as the completely labeled container rolls over bar 13 and presses paste belt 10b against the label stack. The curling bar 3 then distributes this paste evenly over the lap-end portion B of the top label as this label is pulled from beneath the curling bar 3 onto the container 17.

FIG. 4 shows a front elevational view of the paste belt 10 and the depresser bars '13 for this belt. The paste 3 depressers 13 serve to press the underlying portion of the belt b downward into contact with the top label 2.

The operation of the curling bar of this invention may best be seen by reference to FIG. 3. The cylindrical container 17 (in this case a jar) is shown on channel member 1 as it approaches curling bar 3. The jar already has the pick-up portion A of the label applied to the jar and is now pulling the lap-end portion B of the label from beneath the curling bar 3.

The jar 17 as it moves through the labeling device first contacts the hot melt glue rollers which apply a strip of hot glue 18 to the jar. The jar 17 then makes one revolution and contacts the pick-up section A of top label .12. As the jar continues its rotation, it moves on channel member 1 until it reaches the point shown in the drawing. The jar 17, as it continues to roll, begins to pull the lap-end portion B of the label under the curling bar 3 causing the bar to rotate. As the bar 3 rotates the helical grooves in the bar distribute the paste (applied by the paste belt 10b) evenly over the lap-end lportion B of the label while at the same time causing any excess paste to be carried by the grooves 7 and 8 toward the center of the label. The excess glue is then kept on the lap-end portion B of the label 12 and is distributed in this fashion to the succeeding labels which follow. As the jar 17 continues its rotation, the lap-end portion B of the label is pulled onto the jar and covers or wraps over the pick-up section A of the label which has already been glued to the jar by glue strip 18. The labeled jar 17 now continues on channel 1 and rolls over the paste depresser bars 13 causing the paste belt 10b to contact and apply a strip of paste on the next label in the label stack. The labeled container then passes onto a rubber pad not shown in the drawing where the label is pressed and any excess paste is removed. As the completed jar passes the paste depresser 13, a second container (not shown) is contacting the hot melt glue applicator .15 and the series of steps outlined is repeated for the second jar.

'While this invention has been described by reference to specific embodiments, it should not be limited to the precise details of construction shown and described, but is intended to cover all modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A roll-through labeler which comprises a cylindrical curling bar rotatably mounted and adapted to retain a stack of labels in a stationary position by pressing down on said labels, said labels having an initial pick-up portion and a lap-end portion adapted to wrap around and cover said pick-up portion when applied to a container, means for rolling a container past said stack of labels, means for applying a strip of adhesive material to said rolling container prior to the container contacting the pick-up portion of the top label in said stack, and a paste applicator means for applying paste to the lap-end portion of the label which extends from the curling bar, said strip of adhesive on the container contacting and gluing the pick-up portion of the top label to said container as the container rolls past said label and thereby pulls the lap-end portion of said label from under the curling bar and causes said bar to rotate, said curling bar having a pair of helical inwardly extending grooves for directing excess paste on said label away from the end portions of the label and toward the center of the axis of rotation of said bar.

2. A roll-through labeler which comprises a cylindrical curling bar rotatably mounted and adapted to retain a stack of labels in a stationary position by pressing down on said labels, said labels having an initial pick-up portion and a lap-end rportion adapted to wrap around and cover said pick-up portion when applied to a container, means for rolling a container past said stack of labels, means for applying a strip of adhesive material to said rolling container prior to the container contacting the pick-up portion of the top label in said stack, and a paste applicator means for applying paste to the lap-end portion of the label which extends from the curling bar, said strip of adhesive on the container contacting and gluing the pick-up portion of the top label to said container as the container rolls past said label and thereby pulls the lap-end portion of said label from under the curling bar and causes said bar to rotate, said curling bar having two channel threads which extend helically around said bar in a direction inward to the axis of rotation of said bar, said threads converging at the central portion of said curling bar.

3. A roll-through labeler which comprises a cylindrical curling bar rotatably mounted and adapted to retain a stack of labels in a stationary position by pressing down on said labels, said labels having an initial pickup portion and a lap-end portion adapted to wrap around and cover said pick-up portion when applied to a container, means for rolling a container past said stack of labels, means for applying a strip of adhesive material to said rolling container prior to the container contacting the pickup portion of the top label in said stack, and a paste applicator means for applying paste to the lap-end portion of the label which extends from the curling bar, said strip of adhesive on the container contacting and gluing the pick-up portion of the top label to said container as the container rolls past said label and thereby pulls the lap-end portion of said label from under the curling bar and causes said bar to rotate, said curling bar having two separate helical grooves which move toward the center of said bar and connect with a central groove in said bar, said helical grooves serving to screw excess paste toward the center of said bar as the bar rotates and said central groove serving to retain excess paste within said groove.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,327,465 1/ 1920 Ekvall et al. 156-453 1,627,946 5/1927 Wild 156-453 1,826,801 10/193 1 Littleford 15-49 2,517,395 7/1947 Lewis 156-453 EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner.

D. J. FRITSCH, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.'R. 

